Join us Monday, 7 - 8:30PM EDT
This Monday, Mick will facilitate. He shares:
It has been said that the mark of a true Plum Village practice is that it is a “Coming Home” practice. Last week marked the Summer Solstice and the longest day of the year. The summer is a yang time, or time of outward energy. Yang is translated as “the sunny side of the hill”, while yin is translated as “the shady side of the hill”.
Our yang may have been lit to a hotter fire by recent events. The quarantine of the Spring built up to the explosion of the summer.
Amidst the great grief and suffering of this time what does it feel like to hear the Words, Present Moment, Wonderful Moment. How can we say Present Moment, Wonderful Moment in such a time of unrest, grief and loss? When we meditate on this phrase we say, breathing in I dwell deeply in the present moment, breathing out I am aware that it is a wonderful moment. Perhaps present moment, wonderful moment does not quite fit for you at this time.
If not a wonderful moment, we can say Present Moment, Awakening Moment, or, Present Moment, Moment that holds the 10 Joys and Sorrows of Life.
In the 7th of the 14 Mindfulness Trainings it is written:
Aware that life is available only in the present moment, we are committed to training ourselves to live deeply each moment of daily life. We will try not to lose ourselves in dispersion or be carried away by regrets about the past, worries about the future, or cravings, anger, or jealousy in the present. We will practice mindful breathing to be aware of what is happening in the here and now.
The intentional practice of dwelling deeply in the present moment, in mindful awareness can transport us to rest on the “shady side of the hill” and our yin energy. Just as we go swimming in the summer to cool off from the heat, we need to practice coming home to the present moment to cool the yang energy of the summer and of the heat that is popping inside of us and around us.
The present moment is the teacher. Grief, loss and anger, hope and love are teaching us to wake up and come home to dwell deeply in the present moment. This present moment is a wonderful moment because we can look deeply into our body, mind and heart and experience transformation and healing.
According to five element theory in Chinese Medicine, during the summer the organ that receives extra energy is the heart. It is taught that one should focus on the heart during summer. Feed the heart heart-nourishing foods and make sure to remain active so the heart receives positive energy.
This Monday night we will time to explore and share how we practice tending to the heart by Coming Home, and practicing Present Moment, Wonderful Moment to nurture our yin or inward energy to find harmony with our yang or outward energy.
The Seventh Mindfulness Training: Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment
Aware that life is available only in the present moment, we are committed to training ourselves to live deeply each moment of daily life. We will try not to lose ourselves in dispersion or be carried away by regrets about the past, worries about the future, or cravings, anger, or jealousy in the present. We will practice mindful breathing to be aware of what is happening in the here and now. We are determined to learn the art of mindful living by touching the wondrous, refreshing, and healing elements that are inside and around us, in all situations. In this way, we will be able to cultivate seeds of joy, peace, love, and understanding in ourselves, thus facilitating the work of transformation and healing in our consciousness. We are aware that happiness depends primarily on our mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that we can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that we already have more than enough conditions to be happy.